On Tuesday, market research firm NPD Group published the latest data with regard to leading smartphone operating systems and their respective market shares.

Incredibly, iOSís U.S. market share (in terms of sales) leaped from 26% in the third quarter of 2011 to 43% by fall (October and November). The firm says Android barely squeaked by in the lead with a 47% market share during those two months.

Android slipped precipitously from 60% in the third quarter of 2011.

Not surprisingly, NPD says the modern mobile landscape is a virtual one-on-one race between the iPhone maker and Google's Android platform. As smartphone sales continue to accelerate (smartphones made up 67 percent of all handset sales in October and November of 2011), NPD's data suggests that iOS and Android may consistently joust for first place within a few points of one another.

According to the most recent comScore data, Android and iOS now power a combined 75.6 percent of all smartphones in the United States.

thats only because apple just came out with a new phone so of course they would have a huge jump in sales, and market share... i predict that next quarter, they will drop, and android will increase.. ... i LOVE that emotocon

thats only because apple just came out with a new phone so of course they would have a huge jump in sales, and market share... i predict that next quarter, they will drop, and android will increase.. ... i LOVE that emotocon

Sorry, gonna have to roll with AUZ on this one. More carriers = more availability.

Whether or not iOS continues to maintain this level of market presence will be interesting to watch. Also, still very interested in seeing global figures (both in terms of hard consumer sales and market share).